Murray open to reuniting with Lendl
Andy Murray is open to the possibility of reuniting with former coach Ivan Lendl after splitting with Amelie Mauresmo.
The British world number three announced on Monday that he would no longer be working with the Frenchwoman.
Murray won Wimbledon, the US Open and Olympic gold during two years with the ex-world number one from 2012 to 2014.
“I’d certainly consider it. I had fantastic results working with Ivan,” the 28-year-old told BBC Sport.
“Both of us, I think, enjoyed it enough to at least consider that.
“Whether or not it’s something that could work, I’m not sure. We’ll have to wait and see – but I’m not against that idea at all.”
Lendl, 56, is employed by the United States Tennis Association (USTA), working with its junior players.
The Czech-born American is known to dislike the prospect of travelling for the 25 weeks a year Murray is likely to require.
Asked on Tuesday about the prospect of a return, Lendl told several newspapers: “I don’t like to deal with ‘ifs’.”
Murray is at the Italian Open, where he beat Mikhail Kukushkin 6-3 6-3 in his opening match on Wednesday – but he is keen to make progress on finding a new coach.
“If not, you get into the French Open, it’s another couple of weeks and four or five weeks go past quick,” said the Scot, who turns 29 on Sunday.
“You’re into the grass-court season and that’s obviously a pretty important and fairly stressful time of year too – so I’ll try and make some progress with that in the next week or two.”
Analysis – BBC correspondent Russell Fuller
“Ivan Lendl is very unlikely to agree to spend 25 weeks a year on the road, but if Murray is prepared to compromise on the time they spend together, then the phone call may not be a wasted one. Lendl’s part-time role with the USTA would not prove a stumbling block, although his family and his strong dislike of travelling might.
“In the past 18 months, Lendl has at least spoken to both Tomas Berdych and Grigor Dimitrov about the possibility of coaching them. Nothing came of it, but he has hinted he would like to return to the fray given the right opportunity. The question is whether Lendl considers helping Murray try and win his first Grand Slam for three years to be the right challenge.”